Social Impact Assessment of Microfinance Programmes - weman

The other results that are significant are for empowerment. In the double difference
estimation, economic empowerment is significant (3.85 pts; p=0.02) while in single
difference, social empowerment is significant (1.38 pts.; p=0.09). In the regressions on
overall, economic and income empowerment, the loan cycle dummy was significant
implying that clients who have borrowed twice are more empowered than first time
borrowers. Even though the percentage of female respondents in the active borrower
category was 47 percent, and in the other categories collectively it was 13 percent, we
still do not find a significant impact on most empowerment indices. In the pipeline
respondent category, the percentage of females was 17 percent as Akhuwat is phasing out
its group lending, which only caters to women, and is moving towards individual lending.
The other variable that came out significant in the regressions was the member dummy
for asset score (-0.99, p=0.029), implying that the individuals who self-select themselves
own fewer assets than their neighbours. This is understandable as building assets takes
time and to begin with maybe these individuals are poorer and that is why they have been
accepted by Akhuwat as clients. However, the loan cycle dummy for asset score is
positive and significant (0.88, p=0.03) implying that over time, the borrowers do end up
building assets, which are important to reduce vulnerability.
Table 5.8: Regression Results
Single Difference Double Difference
Dependent Variable Coefficient t-value 1 Coefficient t-value
Log(Respondent Income) 0.12 1.35 0.1 0.98
Log(Household Income) 0.13 2.00 ** 0.17 1.80 *
Log(Per Capita Income) 0.12 1.73 * 0.16 1.56
Log(Total Household Expenditure) 0.05 0.95 0.03 0.42
Log(Food Expenditure) 0.06 0.95 0.16 1.75 *
Educational Expenditure 133 0.98 330 1.54
Health Expenditure -17.5 -0.28 135 1.23
Savings 7.8 0.05 -236 -0.85
Asset Score 0.49 1.23 0.44 0.73
Children Enrolled in School(%) -0.62 -0.08 10.4 0.90
Boys Enrolled in School(%) -0.72 -0.09 20.8 1.47
Girls Enrolled in School(%) 3.2 0.43 9.2 0.84
Women's Empowerment (Overall Ind 2.86 0.78 4.07 0.81
Economic Empowerment 1.13 0.9 3.85 2.36 **
Income Empowerment -0.32 -0.68 -1.27 -1.61
Asset Empowerment -0.55 -0.69 -1.55 -1.59
Empowerment related with
Education and Health 1.22 1.06 1.66 0.84
Social Empowerment 1.38 1.72 * 1.37 0.89
1 Significant at 10%(*), Significant at 5%(**), Significant at 1% (***)
2 Score based on 47 questions, the other idices listed below are a breakdown of this index. Refer to
questionnaire for detail.
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